Nowhere To Run

One woman's experience of Israel's national nightmare.

You've come to Passaic, New Jersey for a meeting in a community center. You sit down around the table with a dozen other people. Suddenly you hear an air raid siren. Terror grips everyone's face. They jump up and dart out of the room. They yell to you, "Run! We have 15 seconds!" You dash after them, towards a safe room at the end of the corridor. Crowded inside, the people hold their breath, waiting for the rocket to land. Total silence. Then an explosion.

All the people frantically dial their cell phones, trying to locate their family members. It isn't safe to go out yet, they tell you, because often these attacks come in pairs. After several nerve-racking minutes, people file out and return to their jobs. Your meeting proceeds quickly, tensely. Twenty minutes later, the air raid siren goes off again, and the whole scene is repeated.

Could you live like this?

Would you wonder: "Why should I have to?"

This scene is the daily reality for the 22,000 Jews who live in Sderot, a town in Israel's western Negev desert. One mile away is the Gaza Strip, controlled for the last year by the democratically elected terrorist organization Hamas.

TRYING TO IGNORE

Toronto resident Rachelle Bronfman came to Israel last October for a vacation. Leaving behind her husband and three children, she came for a ten-day "Women's Mission." She had been to Israel many times before, but this time she just wanted to have a good time, without getting involved in any of Israel's sticky issues.

Then her cell phone rang. The caller identified himself as Alon Davidi and asked if Rachelle could come and look at his project. She didn't want to get involved. "Just fax me," she tried to brush him off. Alon insisted that his project was too big to describe by fax. He persuaded Rachelle to meet him in Jerusalem.

"I knew there would be rocket attacks into Israel's borders, but I didn't want to deal with it."

Alon explained that he is the head of the Sderot Defense Council, a NGO he started to help his fellow residents in the embattled town deal with the traumas of their children and themselves. He opened up his laptop and starting showing Rachelle pictures of what's happening in Sderot: wrecked living rooms with rocket-pierced holes in the ceilings, elderly people crouching for cover, children with the panicked faces Rachelle had seen only in movie theaters during a horror film.

"I knew in the back of my mind," recalls Rachelle, "that when Israel pulled out of Gush Katif there would be rocket attacks into Israel's borders, but I didn't want to deal with it and I tried to ignore it. As I talked to this person who lives in Sderot about the people and damages, it was hard to ignore it. He asked if I would come to Sderot. I said, 'Okay, I'll come. I owe it to these people at least to go.'"

Rachelle asked other women in her group to join her. Seven women agreed to forego shopping that day and instead go to Sderot. Alon sent a minivan for them. A mere hour and a half after leaving Jerusalem, they had crossed the width of the country and were on the battlefront.

Alon took them around to see his projects, all geared to give a psychological respite from the 24/7 tension of living under intermittent barrages of rocket fire. "People are terrified to come out of their apartments," Rachelle explains, "so Alon organizes local programs for the children. He also takes them to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for a day -- a day without having to worry for their lives. I decided then and there that I had to do something."

Rachelle returned to Toronto and organized, with help from the local UJA, a giant rally in support of Sderot. The rally, attended by 2500 people, featured a live hook up to Sderot, so people in Toronto could hear Sderot residents describing their trauma-filled lives. Keynote speaker Alan Dershowitz asserted that Sderot is one of the world's worst human rights disasters, as innocent people living within the internationally recognized borders of their own country are simply sitting ducks for enemy attacks.

Last Thursday Rachelle returned to Sderot to ascertain that the money she had raised was being properly used to alleviate the stress of the local residents. She arrived at 10 AM and went directly to a meeting at the community center. Suddenly the air raid siren went off. Fifteen seconds to get to safe shelter! Rachelle dashed after the others into the safe room.

"You have less than 15 seconds to get to safety. If you're walking in the street or taking a shower -- there's no place to go!"

"The worst part," recalls Rachelle, "was to see grown men with terror in their eyes. These are men who have served in the Israeli army. But they were terrified."

Every time Rachelle sat down for a meeting, the air raid siren shrieked again -- six times in less than four hours. "It was scary," she testifies. "You have less than 15 seconds to get to safety. If you're walking in the street, or driving in a car, or taking a shower -- there's no place to go! Then you hear the boom of the rocket exploding. And everyone dials their cell phones, desperately calling their children. Where are you? Are you safe? Looking at this scene, I couldn't believe it was real."

Finally someone told Rachelle that she had to leave -- it was too dangerous to stay in Sderot. Her hosts took her toward the minivan for her return to Jerusalem. Suddenly the siren went off. People glanced in all directions around the parking lot. Where to run? Someone located a shelter at the far corner. They ran as if their lives depended on it -- because they did.

This shelter was a concrete roof with two walls. Two sides were completely open for instant access to fleeing pedestrians. Rachelle was told to huddle down and put her arms over her head. If the rocket hit next to one of the open sides, the shrapnel would injure them all. She heard the rocket explode somewhere blocks away. They waited to make sure a second rocket was not on its way. Then they sprinted to the minivan.

Rachelle's hosts told her driver to drive very fast on the access road leading out of Sderot because there are no bomb shelters along that road. Rachelle and eight other people got in. The minivan careened out of town at top speed.

The driver floored it on the access road. Suddenly the siren went off. He screeched to a stop.

It was the most terrifying experience of her life. And it's what these people live with every day, 24 hours a day.

Everyone leapt out of the vehicle and started to run. Rachelle glanced around. Only open fields. Nothing but dirt and rocks. There was no place to run. But she followed the others. Then someone shouted, "Drop down!" Rachelle dived down into the dirt, her hands a flimsy protection for her head. "I'm going to die here," she thought, shaking, as the faces of her family flashed before her. It was the most terrifying experience of her life.

The rocket exploded nearby, but not near enough to injure them. "That's when it hit me, what these people live with every day, 24 hours a day."

SURREAL REALITY

Israel evacuated Gaza in July, 2005, uprooting 9,000 Jews from the flourishing communities they had built there over two generations. The logic of the withdrawal, supported by a majority of Israelis and insisted upon by the world, was that once the settlements, the supposed "obstacle to peace," were destroyed, the Palestinians would direct their energies to building up their own state within their own borders. When Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was asked what Israel would do if the Palestinians instead launched rockets over the border fence into Israel, he replied that the Israeli response would be swift and emphatic, and that the world would stand behind Israel in its legitimate steps to defend itself.

In the two and a half years since every last Israeli civilian and soldier left Gaza, the Palestinians have launched over 2053 Kassam rockets into communities on Israel's side of the international border. They have killed 12 people and wounded over a hundred. In the last two weeks, a ten-year-old boy lost his leg to a rocket attack and another youth almost lost his hand. Last Wednesday, Roni Yihye, a 47-year-old father of four from Moshav Bitcha, was killed by a Kassam rocket while attending classes at Sapir College.

No country in the world would put up with even one such attack on its territory. Can you imagine the United States sustaining a rocket attack on Passaic and not going to war? Can you imagine England sustaining a rocket attack on Brighton and "practicing restraint"?

Rather than "swift and emphatic," Israel's response has been half-hearted and restrained. Air strikes have targeted the rocket launch areas, as well as terrorist cells and their leaders. Yet even such limited counterattacks have elicited international ire. Can you imagine Switzerland condemning the United States and England for their aerial bombardments of German cities during WWII? Of course not!

How's this for a jaunt into the surreal?

Months ago, the government of Israel declared Hamas-controlled Gaza "an enemy entity." Yet Israel -- along with Egypt -- continues to supply this "enemy entity" with 70% of its electric power.

Israel supplies Gaza with gasoline for the vehicles that it uses to take Kassam rockets to their launch sites to be used to attack Israel.

When Israel stopped supplying 1% (according to the BBC) of Gaza's electricity, the world denounced the move as a "humanitarian crisis."

The UN Security Council has never condemned the attacks on Israel's sovereign territory. But this weekend, following Israel's stepped-up air and ground reprisals, the Security Council, meeting in emergency session, prepared a statement calling for an end to all violence in the Gaza area, both rocket attacks and Israel's military reprisals, thus equating the Palestinians' attacks and the Israeli defensive efforts.

Some 4,000 residents of Sderot have already fled the city. Rachelle Bronfman was asked why the 22,000 remaining residents don't also move to a safer city. She replied, "Most of them are too poor. Their apartments are worthless. But even if they had the money, where would they go? Eventually all of Israel will be within range of missiles from Gaza in the South, Hizbullah in the North and the PLO-held territories in the heartland."

Her words were strangely prophetic. Last Thursday, eight long-range Grad missiles from Gaza hit Ashkelon, Israel's port city of 100,000 residents. The Grad missiles originated in Iran and were smuggled into Gaza through the porous border with Egypt.

Soon there will be no place to run for any Israeli.

Photo credit: Yossi Shitrit

Sara Yoheved Rigler’s all-encompassing online marriage program, “Choose Connection: How to Revive and Rejuvenate Your Marriage” is available to Aish.com readers at a special price. Click here for more info: http://www.jewishworkshops.com/webinars/connection/

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About the Author

Sara Yoheved Rigler is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, France, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Panama, and over 35 American cities. She is one of the most popular authors on Aish.com, world’s biggest Judaism website, and is a columnist for Ami Magazine. Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of five best-sellers: Holy Woman; Lights from Jerusalem; Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller); G-d Winked; and Heavenprints . She gives a weekly Marriage Webinar for Jewish Workshops on a spiritual approach to marriage, with hundreds of members throughout the world. She lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her newest book, Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup, the story of Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born girl who became a Jerusalem legend, was was released in November, 2016. Her website is: sararigler.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 49

(49)
Anonymous,
March 9, 2008 4:23 AM

Unbelievable! I can't imagine living like this, in constant fear ofbeing blown up, and having to still function at a job, school or evengoing to a store! What is the answer?

I don't know. As the article states, many of the people are too poor tomove away and where would they go.

(48)
Tirtzah Wright,
March 9, 2008 1:18 AM

Let America know this, please

I will forward this article to all I know. I will print it out and make sure that as many as possible get a copy and I will asking various group to accept a copy and spread its message.

(47)
Anonymous,
March 8, 2008 1:33 AM

I'm still crying... It broke my heart deeply. I pray the Almighty do something in this situation soon.Hope many people read this article! Thank you Rachelle .

(46)
ME,
March 7, 2008 2:52 PM

This Ad To Air Sat Night Radio TalkLine!

In light of the fact Palestinian president Abbas was Arafat's deputy in the Palestinian Authority, that every time Israel responds to rocket fire on it's cities Abbas condemns the Israelis, that Abbas never even hinted any compromise on any hard core Palestinian positions, and finally Abbas's reference to an Israel military action recently against Palestinian terrorists that were firing rockets at Israeli cities, as "worse than the Holocaust", and that the Gaza Strip is ruled by Hamas who were voted in by the Palestinian people of Gaza and the West Bank, it is clear the whole peace process is really a massive lie. Not only does Israel have the right to defend its people from terrorist rocket attacks by going into Gaza, it should not be pressuredto make concessions by the US or others, and should not make concessions on its own, to Abbas who does not act or look like a capable partner.

What happened to Southern Israel due to Israeli withdrawals must not now be forced on more of Israel's cities.

President Bush and Secretary Rice, before Palestinian democracy must come civilized behavior, respect for the value of life, and tolerance for others.

(45)
Deborah,
March 6, 2008 5:56 PM

For the Thom's of this world: no Jew is happy with the loss of life and we hold it precious. We do not send our women and children and disabled stapped into bombs to murder themselves and others. We do not dance in the street to celebrate death. Until the Arab children are raised with the same values they will continue to attack us. Until they are taught that Jews are indeed human, such as they are, they will continue to attempt to destroy us. Perhaps the Thom's of the world can accept this challenge to reach these people with this message. Everyone please do what you can to support the people of Sderot. We are one. Thank you Sara Rigler for this article.

(44)
Lee Goffin,
March 6, 2008 3:11 PM

New Zealand is pro-Palestinian

Please send this article to BBC TV United Kingdom as a factual account of what it is like living in Sderot. In New Zealand, we get flooded daily with pro-Palestinian TV images and news reports. It needs to be countered.

(43)
Anny Matar,
March 6, 2008 5:12 AM

What a wonderful woman, can only wish that more Mrs. Rachelle were around !!!

What a courageous thing to do to care enough to endanger your life and to want to share your experiences with us. The world seems like the three monkeys and they will never learn, Anti Semitism is much stronger than reason. I was still a child then and because my parents never believed that a "cultured" people could think of such attrocities, (I lived through the war in Eastern Europe)BUT THEY CERTAINLY DID AND MUCH WORSE THAN ANY NIGHTMARE, THE REAL INFERNO !!! No one believed it and then "they" were "ONLY" Jews and no one wanted them then nor do they today.Mrs. Rachelle I feel like you SCREAMING can't you (anywhere in the world) see the injustice and if you do don't let the Arab propaganda blind you!!!! Thank God, we can defend ourselves but we're so poor in propaganda and the Arabs win all the battles. Rachelle what you went through on your visit the people around Gaza, Kibbutzim,small cities and of course Sderot suffers seven, yes 7 years NON stop day and night. Children are being woken 3-4 times at night and all they cry out for is ONE NIGHTS REST !!!! but now that, at last, we do something half heartedly, because, you guessed it , THE WORLD (the one who ignores us) see pictures of killed babies again accuse US of wrongdoing. Believe me if the rockets hadn't been fired from the house the baby was killed in they wouldn't have been bombed and no one knows how many of the children they show the world have died of natural causes. They are liars, like the Germans, only worse but it's THEY who get prime time on T.V. and the U.N.!!!! It's ONLY THE COUNTRY OF THE JEWS!!!Thank you Rachelle, we might give some people a shake.Anny MatarIsrael

(42)
Rivki,
March 5, 2008 12:19 PM

"Just as bad?"

To address Thomas Beck's comment - it doesn't appear that this article made light of or minimized the tragedy of loss of human life. Rather, being that much of mainstream media (NPR, CNN, etc.) seems to be biased toward Palestianian sympathy, it's prudent to provide information about the plight of the Israelis as well. Collateral Damage is tragic, yes, but an unfortunate reality of war, and of defending Israeli citizens from continual terrorist activies.

(41)
Lisa,
March 5, 2008 12:09 PM

being kind to those who do evil means you are cruel to the innocent

How ever bad it is in Gaza, it is just a mild response to their support or complacency with the evil the terrorists, those whom they elected, do. To be kind to those who are evil means that you are cruel to those who are innocent or do good. It is important that we make sure that we see things as they are, and not feel sorry for those who do evil, or support those who do evil - just watch the celebrations in Gaza every time there is a terror attack in Israel. It is time to set our priorities straight and stop being kind to the evil. It is time we put an end to the sin of incompetent foolishness the leaders leaders of our country (Israel) commit every day and protect the innocent in a competent manner. It is time to put an end to this psychosis, and Remove the evil once and for all.

(40)
Anonymous,
March 5, 2008 10:19 AM

Jaw jaw, then war war

Perhaps the Israeli Government could offer one final chance to talk peace with Hamas , since they were the democraticly elected party , thereby giving them an opportunity to save face and 'do the right thing' . If all else fails , then Israel should take back Gaza , which they probably should not have left in the first place !PS Re-elect Netanyahu , never divide Jerusalem , never give up the Golan Heights.

(39)
Thomas Beck,
March 5, 2008 8:53 AM

It's just as bad inside Gaza

Meaning no disrespect to the people of Sderot and Ashkelon for their suffering, the people of Gaza are suffering just as much. You can argue that it's the Gazans own fault - they voted for Hamas - but suffering is suffering. Their blood is no less red than that of the people in Sderot and Ashkelon. When Israel goes after the missile-launchers and accidentally kills uninvolved civilians, they are just as dead as any militants Israel kills. What Hamas and its militant allies are doing is horrible and must be stopped. But let's not minimize the suffering Israel is causing. It comforts no grieving relative of someone killed accidentally to be told, well, we weren't trying to kill THEM. Yes, Hamas cowardly hides behind civilians. But their death is as tragic as that of any Israeli.

(38)
Jane Burkhead,
March 4, 2008 7:56 PM

experience needed

Condoleza Rice & President Bush need to have this experience so they will"get it"

(37)
Robert,
March 4, 2008 4:31 PM

Are we nuts or are we masochist???

How does the state of Israel put up with this idiotic garbage? Are they afraid of hurting the world's sensibilities. Why not real retaliation? It seems to me that the residents of Sderot are are disposable. For G-d's sake protect them..to hell with the So-called World Community

(36)
Andy,
March 4, 2008 3:21 PM

Israel's gov't must believe that they are in the wrong

"No country in the world would put up with even one such attack on its territory. Can you imagine the United States sustaining a rocket attack on Passaic and not going to war? Can you imagine England sustaining a rocket attack on Brighton and "practicing restraint"? "

Israel must feel it is in the wrong.Why else would they not respond in more than a token manner when they for certain have the ability.Just today the enemy regrouped and fired into Ashkelon

(35)
Julian Koss,
March 4, 2008 9:48 AM

As one who prefers diplomacy to violence, I have long ago concluded that the Arab leaders do not want peace. And with the election of Hasmas, the "palestinian" people have indicated that they prefer war against Israel. ISRAEL, DO NOT WAGE HALF A WAR! IGNORE "PUBLIC" OPINION! YOU MUST SURVIVE! REMEMBER, NEVER AGAIN!!!

(34)
Natalie Baff,
March 4, 2008 7:45 AM

Should be read by everyone, not just Jews.

This should be sent to every newspaper in the US. Has it been distributed to the media. If not, why not? Surely, some newspapers would run it.

(33)
Aryeh,
March 4, 2008 5:31 AM

Get to the Root of the Problem

In addtional to defending the Jewish state militarily, Why not introspect into the spritual cause(s) of the constant attacks by the entire world against the Jewish state (and the Jewish people) for the past 60 years and work on fixing the root causes as well.

(32)
Avigayil,
March 3, 2008 9:56 PM

Peace is sadly not an option

We have tried peace to no avail - we need urgent action - we need to amend the mistake - take back the Gush. Then we may have some peace, but instead we sit by and try to appease the world. No matter what we do we will be vilified - lets at least act to save ourselves.

(31)
raye,
March 3, 2008 2:21 PM

Ow, it hurts

Wars have been foughtMere words that were flung centuries pastNow come home to roostNoone in the wide worldTo give us a boost.Is it because we are one of a kindThe purest democracy,But noone pays us mind.We represent every nationOur people are black, red and white.Ow! It hurts!We really don't want to fightBut if we mustWe'll give THEM what for!!Till THEY say "Ow! It hurts!"We'll even up the SCORE!!

(30)
Joseph Fagan,
March 3, 2008 11:14 AM

The answer is easier than you would think.

I have never understood why the concept of bringing the issue to the enemy is difficult to comprehend. Hamas is a terror organization with a clear and defined goad. The government of Israel should also have a defined goal- first and foremost, the protection of its citizens and borders. If your enemy throws terror at you, you MUST return terror to its door- not to empty buildings, not with prior warnings, not in concern of your enemy's civilians- that is the responsibility of the government of Gaza- they should feel the terror for themselves. Random shelling of Gaza, with no warnings except one- stop now or taste what terror feels like directly. But first, since the past 2000 plus missiles have not been stopped, the infrastructure of Gaza should be sysematically levelled- bridges, roads, power plants, water sources. Let Hamas spend its treaure and human energy rebuilding. Let them be respsponsible for the welfare of their civilians. It is time for Israel's government to do its job.

(29)
Clive Mclaren,
March 3, 2008 10:51 AM

Choose retaliation or G-d the choice is for all Israel to make

Yes, Israel's Defense forces could strike hard at the attackers of Sderot. It may even cower the violent men for a while and give the people of Sderot much needed respite. But as so many of the commentators have said already, what real peace will it achieve?

Only G-d can save Israel, and the sooner the secular Jews of Israel realise this the better. Israel belongs to its Creator. He is waiting as ever, patiently for a humble reallisation that no matter how militarily strong you make yourselves; those that are sworn to destroy you will never stop, until G-d stops them!

The Torah so many times makes it clear that when Israel goes its own way, her enemies get the upper hand. Yet whenever Israel cries out to God in humility and obedience, G-d goes ahead of you in battle.

There are many Jews, Christians and others around the world who pray for you and want the persecution and murder to stop.

But until you stop believing there can be a political / military solution to what is and always has been a 'spiritual 'problem; then Israel is doomed to suffer from those who are the pawns of G-d's age old enemy, Satan.

I pray that G-d will take the scales off our eyes, so we can from His perspective.Israel has had some amazing leaders in the past, perhaps the current incumbents are not up to the job, but even if they were, without G-d on your side, Israel will lose the war, even if it wins many of the battles.

(28)
ruth housman,
March 3, 2008 9:44 AM

Sderot

It takes the wisdom of Solomon to answer this question and it has to do with PEACE. We have been working at this, it seems, for a long long time and yet...The answers are slow in coming but maybe they will come. It is truly terrifying to live as if every moment could be one's last. It also heightens the experience of what is important: our families, our children, our neighbors, LOVE itself. I don't know.. do bombs going either way foster Peace? What is the answer, to defend or not to defend. There are problems on both sides of the equation. Bloodshed seems to beget bloodshed. Where is God in all of this? I see below a commentary that is about letting God take care of it. I am not sure about anything. I am sure that those who do survive ask themselves, often, why them, my neighbor, and not me? These are profound questions.

(27)
Esther,
March 3, 2008 7:22 AM

This article made me cry. I'm sending it to others. It's so important to speak out about Sderot, and thanks to Mrs. Rigler for doing it.

(26)
Jason Paz,
March 3, 2008 6:42 AM

Bombs for Peace

We should attack Gaza until they can prove all terrorists and murderers are dead.If God objects, He has the power to defuse our bombs and missiles before they explode.My heart goes out to the Israeli families who have lost loved ones.

(25)
Anonymous,
March 3, 2008 1:13 AM

www.stogether.org

this website has many programs dedicated to helping the people of Sderot.

(24)
Yoni Gershon,
March 2, 2008 10:44 PM

It has all come to pass as predicted

Rav Meir Kahane zt'l said it all 40 years ago. Well here we are. Now we will see which is stronger: the death wish ("I would rather die than be called a killer by the world") or the deire to live as a free Jew. I am afraid that for the non-religious there is no strength to resist. The Gemara says we will get to the point of saying: "Ayn lanu al mi lisha'an ela Avinu sh'bashamyim" -- I ask you: are we there yet?

(23)
Anonymous,
March 2, 2008 9:54 PM

so true

(22)
Glenda Morgan,
March 2, 2008 9:40 PM

FIGHT

Israel should immediately strike back at ANY country/persons/etc. that strike against it. That is the way it used to be and Israel was feared by those who were trying to destroy it.G-D said he will protect Israel and bless his people if they follow him. So why worry about the rest of the world - you only need fear G-D.

(21)
Arlene,
March 2, 2008 5:39 PM

This is so sad-the more we give up the more our people suffer and the more we are made out to look like the bad guy!!

Israel needs to stop acting and reacting as if the only thing in the world that matters is the opinion of the world. They all blame us for everything anyway. The government of Israel has one responsibility at the moment - to protect Israeli citizens. We are capable of doing it and as we all know, every other country would do it and would not be blamed for it. We will be denounced worldwide for it, but who cares? what can they do to us? The main problem is that we have a weak, corrupt and harmful government in Israel that is led by left wind eliteist who dont think the will of the people matters because it interferes with their plan to give up more land to terrorists & murderers. Right now Olmert is already in talks with Abbas on the 'final status' of Jerusalem. 'Final Solution' more like!

(18)
Wipprecht H L,
March 2, 2008 3:33 PM

Failure to defeat foe

The people who defeated several hostile armies in 6 days cannot defeat (or will not) a few rebels who shoot rockets! What is wrong?

H L Wipprecht

(17)
francio,
March 2, 2008 3:27 PM

getting rid of Olmert

Why, oh why dont you Isralies just demand a referendum and get rid of Olmert and his cronies?

(16)
george,
March 2, 2008 3:03 PM

sederot

Israel deserves this because they dont go in once and for all and destroy these terrorists They have the means so what are they waiting for???and cut off the electricity and gas to gaza.until this is done nothing will change

(15)
Sharon,
March 2, 2008 1:31 PM

Six years not two

These attacks have been going on for over six years, well before the evacuation of Gush Katif. The Sderot residents have been living with this for that long. They have of course become more frequent and thus more damaging in the last two years and much more so in the last couple of months.

(14)
susey cohen,
March 2, 2008 12:54 PM

WHAT CAN WE IN THE U.S. ACTIVELY DO???

i sit here in pgh. and i read of a reality that is too frightening even to imagine---and i feel helpless. we american jews NEED to be able to do something---we need specific direction!what can an individual do to help??????

(13)
Debbie,
March 2, 2008 12:51 PM

Pray Pray Pray

I just wept when I read this story. So many people do not see. Please continue to write and open our eyes.....continue to get the truth out...we do not get it from mainstream media..and pray, pray for Israel.

(12)
Char,
March 2, 2008 12:25 PM

Shame on the UN and the world

This is shameful that Israel should have to deal with terrorists "alone" as though it is only Israel's problem. They have already said, the Saturday people first, then the Sunday people. The world needs to wake up. They're next!

(11)
Sam,
March 2, 2008 11:58 AM

Eerie correlation with Bible's prophecies

The prophecies of the 'Tochacha' in the Torah and those of several prophets seem to eerily correlate with what is happening. This cannot all be happenstance. The secular Zionist dream, to become just like all other nations, is not being realized.

Somehow, the nation of Israel has to find solutions, perhaps spiritual, to its current existential dilemma.

People of good will, all over the world, have to unite, and do what we can, practically, but also pray for salvation.

Now is not the time for squabbles and planning Passover getaways to Jamaica and the Bahamas, Cancun, and Europe.

If you simply MUST get away for Passover, go to Israel, and support the people there.

If you feel the need to be philanthropic, give to the people of Sderot.

Eventually, none of us will be safe.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

(10)
Evelyn K,
March 2, 2008 11:14 AM

Olmert et al need to be removed! Israel needs a constitution where there is a separation of powers similar to the U.S.; executive, legislative, and judicial. With this kind of government, there would be an end to the craziness perpetuated against the Israelis by their own leaders. Those elected would be answerable to their constituents.

(9)
Anonymous,
March 2, 2008 10:50 AM

we have where to run to

The Jewish People are not about military might - we are about prayer and speaking to Avinu shebeshamayim (our Father in Heaven) We have where to run to - straight to G-d - who is longing for our prayers and supplications. This is all designed so that we should return to G-d and be a true light to the nations of the world. Forget about all the strategies and rhetoric - follow the simple ways of the righteous and cry out constantly to G-d - so that we should once again witness the miracles of salvation.

(8)
Anonymous,
March 2, 2008 10:45 AM

The people in the world are too busy with their comfortable lifes. They need to hear the outcry. What is frustrating it is the UN leaders and their inability to discern justice. Equating the attacker and the defenders at the same level is a disgrace. I agree we, the jewish people need to organize to our own defense.

(7)
lynn Finson,
March 2, 2008 10:41 AM

no place to run

This article helps us all do the mitzvah of "Imo Anochi B'Tzar," feeling each others pain. That along with constant prayer may be the only real weapons we possess. Hashem Yishmor.

(6)
Leslie-Ann,
March 2, 2008 10:18 AM

This Is An Outrage

I'm outraged and incensed that this could happen to civilians in Sderot. My deepest concern and prayers go out to them. I will do what I can to help.

(5)
Ray,
March 2, 2008 10:12 AM

WE'RE ON OUR OWN

the sooner we realize the better.

(4)
Ingrid,
March 2, 2008 9:43 AM

If you want peace, stop launching missiles to Sderot

Jamie says: Every Jew needs to feel the reality of what's going on in Sderot. As a Christian I say: Everybody needs to feel the reality of what's going on in Sderot. Why? It concerns us all. The media speak only about the victims in Gaza, when Israelis defend themselves, and much less about the missiles from Gaza. How can Hamas save the lives of Palestinians? They just must not send missiles outside their borders, and Israelis would stop. It would be so easy for them to live in peace and finally begin to build their country.

(3)
R,
March 2, 2008 9:34 AM

angry!!!

these articles make me so angry! How can the world be so blind? How can the Israeli govt be so STUPID!?????

(2)
jamie,
March 2, 2008 9:05 AM

WE NEED TO WAKE UP!

Every Jew needs to feel the reality of what's going on in sderot! how can we sleep at night? what other country in the world would tolerate daily onslaught of rockets on its civilians, and then be blamed for taking action to stop them? the world is insane, and alas where are our Jewish brothers and sisters? We should be taking the streets in protest and outcry.

(1)
Karl P. Kenyon,
March 2, 2008 8:47 AM

Israel HAS TO become a ctively aggressive

By only re-acting in a half-hearted way to Hamas bombings they tell the rest of the world that they are partly to blame for what is happening to them.

My Christian friends are always speaking about “faith.” To me this sounds a lot like blind faith. Is that really the essence of religion?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I'm afraid that this is another case of a Christian concept being mis-associated with Judaism.

Let's first define our terms. What is faith?

Webster defines faith as "Belief without proof."

What is knowledge? "An acquaintance with truth, facts or principles through study or investigation."

Faith is usually a product of desire. Have you ever gotten a tip on the market that guarantees you're going to triple your money in a month? A lot of smart people have gotten fleeced because they ignored the evidence and went with their feelings.

Knowledge, on the other hand, is based on evidence. We know there's a place called China because we have too many products in our house saying "made in China." There's a lot of evidence for the existence of China, even though most of us have never been there.

Judaism unequivocally comes down on the side of knowledge, not faith. In Deuteronomy 4:39, the Torah says: "You shall know this day, and understand it well in your heart, that the Almighty is God; in the heaven above and the earth below, there is none other." (This verse is also contained in the prayer, "Aleynu.")

This verse tells us that it is not enough to simply know in your head, intellectually, that God is the Controller of everything. You must know it in your heart! This knowledge is much more profound than an intellectual knowledge. God gave us a brain because he wants us to think rationally about the world, our role in it, and our relationship with God.

A conviction based on desire or feelings alone has no place in Judaism. The Hebrew word "emunah," which is often translated as faith, does not describe a conviction based on feelings or desire. It describes a conviction that is based on evidence.

Once this knowledge is internalized, it effects how a person lives. A person with this knowledge could transform every breathing moment into a mitzvah, for he would do everything for the sake of the heaven. But this is not a "knowledge," that comes easily. Only intensive Torah learning and doing mitzvahs can achieve this knowledge. Every word of Torah we learn moves us just a little bit closer to that goal. And everyone is capable of that.

To learn more, read "The Knowing Heart," by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Feldheim.com). This entire book is an explanation of this verse!

In 350 BCE, the building of the second Holy Temple was completed in Jerusalem, as recorded in the biblical Book of Ezra (6:15). The re-building of the Temple had begun under Cyrus when the Persians first took over the Babylonian empire. The re-building was then interrupted for 18 years, and resumed with the blessing of Darius II, the Persian king whom is said to be the son of Esther. The Second Temple lacked much of the glory of the First Temple: There was no Ark of the Covenant, and the daily miracles and prophets were no longer part of the scenery. The Second Temple would stand for 420 years, before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

You shall know this day and consider it within your heart(Deuteronomy 4:39).

Business people who are involved in many transactions employ accountants to analyze their operations and to determine whether or not they are profitable. They may also seek the help of experts to determine which products are making money and which are losing. Such studies allow them to maximize their profits and minimize their losses. Without such data, they might be doing a great deal of business, but discover at the end of the year that their expenditures exceeded their earnings.

Sensible people give at least as much thought to the quality and achievement of their lives as they do to their businesses. Each asks himself, "Where am I going with my life? What am I doing that is of value? In what ways am I gaining and improving? And which practices should I increase, and which should I eliminate?"

Few people make such reckonings. Many of those that do, do so on their own, without consulting an expert's opinion. These same people would not think of being their own business analysts and accountants, and they readily pay large sums of money to engage highly qualified experts in these fields.

Jewish ethical works urge us to regularly undergo cheshbon hanefesh, a personal accounting. We would be foolish to approach this accounting of our very lives with any less seriousness than we do our business affairs. We should seek out the "spiritual C.P.A.s," those who have expertise in spiritual guidance, to help us in our analyses.

Today I shall...

look for competent guidance in doing a personal moral inventory and in planning my future.

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